Brothers To The End
by rosannahstar
Summary: Sonic and Tails have been through thick and thin together and they still hold on intact. These are a series of one shots based around the two brothers going through their lives as heroes.
1. The Storm

**Author's note: This is a new idea I came up with. I'm thinking about making a series of one-shots based around Sonic and Tails and this is the first. I'm going to take requests if anyone wants a fanfiction about the two but they have to be reasonable and the main characters have to be Sonic and Tails.**

**Thankyou and please enjoy **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but Leo, Ginger and the quote at the end. I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog.**

Miles Prower's head was throbbing. He glanced in the direction that Nico had fled but his vision was swimming slightly, making the world around him appear strangely fuzzy. He looked towards the sky remembering from experience that if he looked at it long enough he'd find his centre of balance again, but this time it didn't work. In fact by bending his neck backwards all he succeeded in doing was giving himself and even worse headache than he'd had before. He felt tears prickle at the corner of his eyes but he refused to let them fall. A couple of months ago it would have been pure instinct to cry after the constant torment and beatings from Nico and his gang because somehow he felt that crying would make all the pain and worry go away. It was as if he hoped that Nico would take pity on him when he cried and he'd leave him alone. It didn't work though. In the end it only made Nico smirk more than before. Tails couldn't understand it but he learned how not to cry after the beatings and name calling. Sometimes he couldn't help crying during them though.

Miles sat on the cold ground shaking and quivering from the cold. He wrapped his arms around his legs and pulled his legs tightly up to his chest into as tight a ball as he could. He'd learned over the years that this position gave him the most heat and when he was sad it made him feel safer. He pushed his head down into the fur of his arms and even though he still did not cry he took great gasping breaths that shook his entire frame. He tried to block out everything. The pain, the names, the feelings of dread every time that they crossed paths with him, but it wasn't possible. Every single time that he finally managed to block them he would be approached by them again no matter if it was in reality or in his dreams.

Even though he knew it was a question that he would probably never find an answer to he suddenly found himself asking himself the question that had haunted him for as long as he could remember. Where were his parents? He often saw other children with their parents as they played on the playground and he wished that someday soon his parents would find him and they'd play with him like those parents did with their children. But he'd always watched from afar… Once he'd tried to play on the playground with the other children but he was soon taught that he didn't belong there. No, definitely not. The other children had made sure to teach him that lesson and they made sure he'd never forget. He and his two tails were better somewhere the rest of the world couldn't see him. What hurt the most though was that the parents that Miles had been admiring and wishing were his only moments ago were just watching and not doing anything to help him. He was pretty sure he even saw one of them snigger slightly behind his hand. That day he decided to create an image in his head about what his parents were really like. He didn't care how unrealistic they may seem because just thinking about them made him feel slightly more comfort in a world that seemed to be making it it's chore to deprive him of exactly that.

He pictured them to be young and smiling. The woman was a fox just like him but had only one tail like all normal foxes should. Her fur was golden like the sun and her eyes were bright blue like the sea's waves. They sparkled in the sunlight and she gazed at the sky and she slowly relaxed as her husband placed his arms around her shoulders. He too had only one tail. His fur was slightly darker like the colour of straw and his eyes were slightly darker and firmer but glowed a brilliant sapphire when he smiled. They were completely contempt in each other's company and even though Miles wanted desperately to imagine himself in the picture he couldn't. The image seemed too perfect to put himself in it. Whenever he tried it just felt like in a way he was tainting it. So he just watched them in his mind's eye as the talked happily and watched the clouds float above their heads. Somehow Miles often thought of them so clearly that he truly believed that they were real and that he had been created by such a beautiful picture. But what if he was? His perfect world could be the reason he was alone. What if they were so perfect that they believed the couldn't keep something so imperfect as a son with two tails and so they left him? Maybe if they hadn't been so perfect they would have kept him… However, one thing was for sure. After he began having these thoughts he made sure to put one more fact into his image for his ideal family. If they saw a child being beat up by the other children then they'd help, ignorant of how the child looked.

"Hey two-tails!" A voice yelled from a short distance away from him.

Tails eyes widened a fraction as he forced his painfully stiff body back behind a nearby tree. He'd recognise that voice anywhere. If you'd asked Tails to name all the people who disliked him he'd have a hard time remembering the names of all of them there were so many. However, the list of people who genuinely hated him was much shorter, but Ginger and Leo were definitely on that list. The voice Miles had just heard had belonged to Leo but he knew that wherever Leo was Ginger was only a few steps behind. The two brothers had had it in for him since he could remember, and even though he knew that Nico and his gang didn't like him it wasn't the same as having someone absolutely detest the sight of him. Miles tried to stay as still as possible and hold his breath but after walking around for a while Leo found him. Leo reached down and pulled Miles up by the fur on the top of his head so that they were face to face. Miles' frightened blue eyes met Leo's firm green ones. Miles immediately paid more attention to the bright red fur in a ring around Leo's head and a matching if not slightly shorter ring around Ginger's head. When he'd seen them last they hadn't much fur but they'd grown their manes and now that they were older they were stronger and meaner than ever.

Ginger smirked in the background as Leo shook Miles by his fur almost ripping it away from Miles' body. Miles let out an undignified squeal as Leo threw him roughly to the ground and jumped practically on top of him punching him in the stomach twice.

"Hey two-tails, you miss me?" Leo growled, his face twisting into an expression of hatred.

Miles gulped but didn't answer. This only seemed to anger Leo further. He punched Miles one more time but this time across the face.

"I asked if you missed me freak! You're supposed to say yes!" He yelled spraying spit on Miles' face. Miles looked at Leo with an expression of both confusion and panic. He didn't think it possible for someone to hold so much hatred in their eyes and no burst open but somehow Leo did just that. Glancing over Leo's shoulder Miles could see Ginger towering over him and he could see the hatred in his eyes slightly less intense but just as frightening. Leo was like a spreading flame, virtually unstoppable until it wore itself out but Ginger was like a tightly sprung coil. Miles never wanted to trip that spring however because he was afraid of how much force might be behind that trigger.

"I said answer me, and don't you dare look at my brother you stupid…" Leo had his fist ready for another blow but he was cut off mid- sentence as a large bang echoed through the forest. For a moment it felt like Miles' ears were filled with a high pitched ringing noise but when that finally cleared he became aware of two things. The first thing was that he had been released and was now lying on his back in the long grass but Leo and Ginger were nowhere near him. The second thing that he realised was that as the ringing noise ended it was replaced by a long terrible screaming that seemed never ending. Tails, startled pulled himself painfully to his feet only to see that the woods, or more specifically one huge tree in the woods had fallen and was now on fire. The smoke blocked his vision and filled his mouth so that it felt like it was choking him with a steel- like grip around his lungs but he was unnerved by that scream. He forced himself closer towards the tree and when it became unbearably hot he could see two figures by the tree. Or more specifically, one of the figures had been trapped under the tree and the other figure was desperately pulling on the others arm and letting out a wordless wail as the flames attacked him so close that he could feel their deadly tails whip against his arms and legs. Miles' heart leaped into his mouth as he realised that the two figures were Leo and Ginger and looking closer Miles could tell that the figure under the tree was Ginger. Miles vaguely felt that he should feel some sort of relief in the fact that it was his enemies that were hurting but he didn't. He just felt a determined urge to save them.

"Lil bro!" Leo screamed pulling at Ginger's arm with all his might as the flames began to engulf his brother but Ginger wouldn't budge. He had a nasty cut on the side of his head and his face had begun to take a grey-blue colour. As his lips started to crack and the fire moved up to his waste the horrific truth finally dawned on Leo. Ginger was dead.

Leo turned towards Miles and finally realising he was there his expression turned into one of pure malice.

"You! This is your fault. Had it not been for you we wouldn't have been here in the first place! I hate you, you're a freak two-tails! I always will hate…" Leo trailed off as he choked on smoke and even though he could barely speak he still managed a roar of pain as the flames travelled up his brother's arm and set him alight also. Miles wanted to help but he found he couldn't. There were flames dancing in front of him and Leo was fully covered in them by now thrashing wildly in pain and terror. Tears streaking down his face Miles ran as fast as he could through the smoke coughing until it felt like his entire body would give up. However, before he could he found himself outside the woods and out of the reach of those fierce flames. Collapsing to the ground Miles cried softly. He never was close to either Leo or Ginger but what he just witnessed was by far the worst thing he had ever seen in his life. That day on he'd never wish for a mother or father again and instead he'd just wish for someone who cared about him as deeply as he knew Leo cared for Ginger. He'd never wanted them to die that way. And he'd certainly not wanted Leo to die hating him with all his heart. He wanted to prove his respect just in case Leo could see him from beyond the grave. He didn't know why he felt he had to prove himself to someone who'd made his life a living hell but he did. Truthfully he didn't hate Leo or Ginger and now he didn't even dislike them.

"Hey two-tails!" Leo's voice flashed through his head and he shivered as the cold air his him as the thunder and lightning storm came to an end.

"I never liked my name Leo…" Miles said still crying like a baby. "But I don't like two-tails either…"

"How about from now on my name be Tails…" Tails said to the calming night sky. He received no response.

"_**Sonic?" Tails asked curled around his brother and wrapped in the light blue blanket on Sonic's bed. The thunder raged outside and the occasional clap of thunder made Tails quiver with fright.**_

"_**Yeah lil bro?" Sonic said quietly keeping a firm grip on Tail s' hand to calm his little brother. Sonic had known for a long time about his brother's fear of thunder and lightning but he never teased him about it. After all the hero also had a great fear of his own and he knew he'd never want to be made fun of because of his fear of water. **_

"_**How do you cope?" Tails asked his voice wavering with unshed tears.**_

_**Sonic looked at his brother confusion shining in his eyes.**_

"_**I mean, how do you cope knowing you can't save everyone? Even if you really, really, really want to," Tails asked hiding his head in his big brothers chest.**_

_**Sonic shifted slightly so that Tails could look him in the eye.**_

"_**I'm not sure what brought this on but I'll tell you this. No hero can save everyone Tails… It brings us all down and makes us feel like we don't have anything to fight for anymore. But we're heroes and that's why we get up again. We can't save everyone but as long as we try it makes being a hero worthwhile," Sonic said smiling at Tails but Tails face only crumpled into tears. **_

_**He wrapped his arms around Sonic's waist and with a single huge sob he burst into tears.**_

"_**Lil bro!" Sonic exclaimed hugging Tails tightly. Tails only cried harder at Sonic's choice of words and continued crying. **_

_**Sonic waited until Tails had calmed down and when the sobs had turned into small hiccups Sonic pulled Tails gently away so that he could see his face. **_

"_**Tails, please tell me what's wrong…" Sonic pleaded.**_

"_**Do you hate me?" Tails asked his eyes welling up with tears. Sonic's eyes widened a fraction and he pulled Tails back into the hug.**_

"_**No, no of course not! Lil bro why would you think that? I could never hate you no matter what you do. Do you know why?" Sonic asked his voice taking a slightly pleading tone. Tails shook his head slowly in Sonic's grasp and sonic continued.**_

"_**It's because you're my little brother and I'll love you forever. Even if it hurts and even if you betray everything I stand for. Hell, even if you join Eggman I'll still love you even though it'd hurt. Never think I hate you. Please?" Sonic begged, crying himself now. Tails solely moved away from Sonic and smiled shakily.**_

"_**Ok Sonic ok… I won't. Please don't be sad!" Tails said softly. **_

_**Sonic grinned and ruffled Tails hair.**_

"_**Ok the buddy no more crying for either of us tonight. I'm gonna go and get us a glass of milk each. Will you be ok? It seems like the storms over now." At Tails nod Sonic gave his hand one last squeeze before heading off for the kitchen. Sonic preferred not to run in the house unless necessary because last time he'd broken three vases in one bathroom visit. **_

_**Tails sat on the bed looking outside of the window and saw the breeze rustle the leaves in the aftermath of the storm. He slowly made his way to the window and opened it so that the wind hit his face and lightly brushed his fur.**_

"_**Leo, Ginger… I found that person. I know what it was like for you too to love each other so much. I'm sorry that I couldn't save you. But I swear when I'm old enough I'll fight with Sonic and save people. I promise…" Tails swore. He expected no reply but as the last words left his mouth he felt a light breeze hit him and he swore he heard a whisper on the wind as it passed.**_

"_I forgive you…"__** The whisper said as it passed him gently. Tails smiled because that was all the sense of forgiveness he needed. He cast one last glance outside before closing the window. The storm was finally over… **_

'Some storms have no meaning. They cause pain and suffering and leave destruction in their wake. But some storms are special. They're there for only a moment and they signal a new beginning.'

**Thankyou for reading please review :)**


	2. Running Away

**Ok this was a request from ninja59. I would also like to give a great big thank you to Kitty in Boots, UKsLaster and the other person who all reviewed. Thank you very much and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you like this next one shot as well. Enjoy…**

Tails was tired. Not just tired, but exhausted. His head throbbed and his legs ached but he knew, as the last few bursts of adrenaline he had left shot through his blood, that he wouldn't stop until he found Sonic. He was reluctant to use his tails to fly in the heavy downpour because the last time he'd tried the water had made his fur heavy and his movements sluggish. Tails had suffered with a cold for weeks after that and since Sonic seemed to be constantly out fighting Eggman recently he'd been nearly constantly alone. So, instead of using his tails to fly Tails ran through Mobius searching desperately for his big brother. As his trainers hit the pavement the water soaked through his socks and drenched the fur on his legs. He suddenly wished very much that he was able to run as fast as Sonic because that way he'd already be at the place he wished to go and he and Sonic would be able to go home and dry off. Tails shivered viciously and his teeth chattered noisily but he knew he was almost there.

He could see the smoke rising from the trees in the distance and a loud, cruel laugh boomed through the air seemingly strong enough to rattle the ground beneath Tails. He stopped for a moment, his nerves rattled, but the confidence he'd built up over the past few weeks meant that he was determined to continue. He wouldn't stop going until he found Sonic. Sonic had been fighting Eggman for too long recently and he rarely ever spoke to Tails anymore. Tails had to admit that he'd felt more than a little hurt when Sonic returned nearly every time he fought with Eggman and gave him a simple greeting and went straight to bed because he was too exhausted to spend any time with Tails. Tails was beginning to worry about Sonic. But he was a little worried…

The wind was picking up as he drew closer and it began to get increasingly hard to run against. He swore he could hear yelling only a bit ahead of him.

"Eggman," Tails whispered dread settling in his chest.

He'd never actually seen Eggman because Sonic said he was too young for it to be of any concern of his, but he'd heard enough stories. Sonic had told him of a man as tall as he is wide, with a flaming red beard and eyes that looked so evil that he scared away most creatures with just a look. He'd often wondered if Sonic was only telling him Eggman was so bad to show off but now that he heard that voice he couldn't help but feel a little anxious that perhaps Eggman really was as scary as Sonic described. Well, he'd soon find out…

The moment that Tails emerged into the clearing he gasped at the destruction all around him. The trees were almost all destroyed or knocked over and charred bark and plants lay in tattered heaps around him as if some huge creature had taken huge strides through the forest completely destroying anything in its path. Tails took a tentative step forward into the havoc but was surprised when he was enveloped in darkness as if the whole area had been plunged into night. Momentarily stunned he wondered vaguely how it had become night so fast until he realised how stupid that thought was. Looking up he immediately found the source of his distress and his heart jumped into his mouth. Above him towered a huge monstrous machine, it's shadow completely blocking the sunlight. He couldn't quite see above the creature too well, but he saw a flash of red as a smaller but still big compared to him span round to look at him. Tails stood frozen as he saw the frightening and twisted face of a man who could only be the doctor Eggman that Sonic had described to him. Eggman smirked at the sight of the little fox, showing his bright white teeth.

Startled Tails let out a terrified squeal, which seemed to excite Eggman even more as he let out a terrible laugh. The huge creature seemed to shake and from the centre of it emerged what looked to Tails like a long and thin cannon. It seemed tiny in comparison to the robot but the beam of energy that emerged from it was so much larger… It was so full of power that had it hit Tails it would probably have seriously injured him or even killed him, but Tails luckily managed to pull himself out of his stupor fast enough to dive out of the way. However, the beam still hit the ground and the earth seemed to shudder so viciously that Tails was flung into the air. He was too surprised to think of using his tails to save himself and as he flew through the air he suddenly closed his eyes waiting for the impact with a surviving tree or with the ground that was sure to come. It never came.

Tails landed hard and let out a small yelp, but he soon realised that he was not hurt. He was also lying half supported by something much softer than the earth. Opening his eyes shakily he found he was being held steady by his big brother Sonic the Hedgehog!

"Sonic!" Tails exclaimed happily but silenced as he saw the look on Sonic's face. His expression was a cross between fear, concern but there was also a cold detachment there in his brothers eyes. Tails gulped as an awkward silence settled over the two brothers. Surprisingly Sonic was the one to break it.

"You're not hurt are you Tails?" Sonic asked, but his voice was neutral as if he was desperately trying to hide his emotions.

"No I'm ok…" Tails whispered nervously.

Quickly Sonic moved away from Tails and looked back into the trees.

"Wait here…" Sonic said looking away so that Tails couldn't see his face. "I'll be back when I've dealt with this." Just like that, in a flash Sonic was gone and Tails was left on his own and badly shaken. He listened nervously as he heard a lot of bangs and thuds further on in the forest only now realising how far the hit actually sent him. A lot of loud noises and yelled curses that Tails felt certain that he shouldn't be hearing later and Sonic was back in a flurry of dust and a bright blue blur as he ran.

"C'mon Tails… We're going home." Sonic said. His voice was even but Tails detected a slight hint of anger there that made his feel a great deal of unease. Not leaving any room for a response Sonic grabbed hold of Tails arm and lifted him onto his back before running with him home. Tails felt slightly sick from the speedy journey but didn't comment. The moment that Sonic and Tails were in the door Sonic took off into the kitchen and slammed his gloved hands down on the sideboard so hard that it shook. Tails feeling extremely scared took great care in moving towards his brother, understanding now that he'd clearly done something wrong by following Sonic. He gently moved towards him and put his hand on his big brothers arm shaking him gently.

"Sonic, I'm…" Tails began but Sonic cut him off by shaking out of his grip.

"No Tails I really don't wanna hear it! I've told you so many times not to follow me and I can't believe you've disobeyed me like this! You could have been really hurt out there and if I hadn't seen you, you could have even been dead! I could have lost you today do you understand that!" Sonic shouted feeling his entire being fill with rage and a desperation to get Tails to understand.

"I know Sonic… I know," Tails whispered his eyes glistening with unshed tears, reaching up to try and comfort his older brother and to do anything to make this all ok again.

Sonic span towards Tails abruptly, not caring if he scared his brother anymore. He was just as angry and scared as Tails was and Tails needed to understand that. If Tails ever did anything like that again Sonic knew that his heart might break. He knew he couldn't live without his little brother at his side and he felt as though if Tails died a part of him would stop breathing at the same time. Sonic had never let himself get so attached to anyone before…

"No you don't! No you…" Sonic stopped quickly and his eyes widened. Sonic hadn't noticed how close Tails had been when he spun but he'd heard the small thud as the small fox landed on the kitchen floor rubbing his jaw tentatively where Sonic had accidentally hit him. Sonic stayed as still as a statue not quite believing what had just happened. When Tails sobbed quietly Sonic was immediately dragged from his stupor into reality. He gasped as he realised how it must have looked to Tails. It must have looked like he fully intended to hit him.

"Tails… Tails I…" Sonic began, but Tails had already run to his bedroom. Sonic sighed sadly and looked at his hands.

"Crap…" he thought. Sonic had never laid a hand on Tails before and even though he knew that this time hadn't been intentional, he still felt more awful than he'd ever felt before. He gulped feeling as if there was lump caught in his throat and let a single tear fall down his face. He quickly rubbed it away as if it had never happened, because Sonic the Hedgehog didn't cry! The last time he'd cried was when his parents died and he'd sworn to himself that after that he'd never cry again. However, after a short amount of time had passed he ran up to his bedroom, locked the door behind him and did something that he hadn't done in a long time.

He cried himself to sleep.

Tails lay on the bed in his room sobbing brokenly into his pillow. Deep inside he knew that Sonic probably hadn't meant to hit him but a part of him still wondered. What if Sonic had meant to hit him? What if Sonic had become fed up with him? After all, his parents had abandoned him. What if Sonic wanted to do the same thing but just felt bad about it?

Tails remembered a conversation he had with Sonic only five months earlier.

**-**_**line break-**_

"Sonic? Why did you take me in?" Tails asked curiously to his older brother one night.

Sonic glanced down from where he was sat on the sofa to look at Tails who was sat on the floor looking at him intently with his adorable, big, blue eyes. Sonic chuckled lightly and sat up slightly resting his arms on his legs and tapping the space next to him. Tails quickly obeyed to Sonic's unspoken wish and jumped easily up onto the sofa next to his older brother.

"Well Tails, there are a few very important reasons why I decided to take you in. First reason is because you needed me. You were being bullied Tails, from the moment I found that out there was no way I'd leave you alone. I'm a hero and that means acting like one." Tails smiled shyly but continued to stare at Sonic curiously taking note of the fact that Sonic said 'a few important reasons'.

"Another reason is because you helped me by fixing my plane. Honestly at the time, I thought that someone so selfless, kind and inquisitive would be an honour to have at my side. And of course, as usual, I wasn't wrong," Sonic said causing Tails to chuckle lightly.

"My third reason is that you were completely alone. I knew for certain someone like you didn't deserve to be alone and that you needed someone in your life Tails. You'd become much to accustomed to having to take care of yourself and truly Tails I hated it. You needed someone to rely on…" Sonic finished. By this time Tails was grinning widely and quickly hugged his big brother around the waist before jumping off of the sofa.

"Hey, wait a moment little buddy," Sonic laughed. "You haven't heard the most important reason yet." Tails stopped still and climbed back onto the sofa.

"The most important reason is because from the moment I met you I knew that I loved you like my very own little brother. To be completely honest with you Tails I was lonely. But I'm not lonely anymore…"

_**-line break- **_

Tails didn't know what to think. Thinking back on this memory he knew that Sonic loved him. But what if he only loved him back then? What if they'd simply grown apart in those past months? What if Sonic wanted him to leave?

Tails quickly made up his mind, not wanting to stay if Sonic wanted him to leave. He walked to Sonic's bedroom door planning on saying a quick goodbye to him and explaining why he was leaving, but then his fears were confirmed. From behind the door he heard Sonic crying… His big brother never cried. He walked away, not wanting to hear anymore because he knew that it was his fault Sonic was in tears. He settled for a quick handwritten note so that Sonic wouldn't worry about him. He was pretty sure Sonic wouldn't worry because after all Sonic had said that he knew Sonic had become accustomed to living on his own. He left the note on the kitchen table. It simply read, "I'm sorry for being such a worry all the time. Goodbye."

Sonic woke up a little after two o'clock and he felt hot and stuffy. His eyes hurt from crying so much and he felt awful. Most people would call sleep a release after something bad happens but for some reason Sonic didn't feel any better, in fact he felt as if he'd never feel good again. Rubbing his eyes he climbed out of his bed and walked down the stairs, a new headache just starting to form making him feel as if he was just run over by a herd of elephants. He walked into the kitchen intending to make some corn dogs to calm him down and then go upstairs and check on Tails. Tails… Just thinking about what he'd done, intentionally or not, sent his stomach into backflips. He had a lot of apologising to do.

When he noticed the paper he didn't think anything of it. He simply picked it up and made to put it in the trash before he notices Tails untidy scrawl on the front of it. Sonic chuckled slightly, for such a smart kid Tails still had incredibly untidy handwriting. Unwrapping the paper he read the words Tails had written and in an instant his heart leaped painfully. His expression changed from confusion, to disbelief and to horror in an instant. Throwing the paper down on the table quickly Sonic ran towards the door and flung it open as fast as he could. He felt even worse when he saw that the downpour from earlier was worse than it had been then.

"No. No. No. No…" Sonic repeated as he took off into the rain at supersonic speed. This wasn't what he wanted. Never had he wanted this. He couldn't quite believe that Tails thought that Sonic wanted him to leave but that wasn't important right now. What was important was getting his little brother home and safe before he got sick. Or before something terrible happened to him… Sonic shuddered when he thought about all of the things that could have happened to Tails in the time he'd been asleep. He had to find him.

Tails wasn't sure where he was going but he knew he had to get out of the rain. He felt slightly lightheaded and his breathing was coming out in quicker gasps. He wouldn't let himself believe that he was getting sick because he didn't want to be sick again. It always felt awful when he felt sick. Even though Sonic always tried to make it feel better it never worked. And if he ended up sick this time he's have to deal with it without Sonic. Just like before Sonic took him in. Tails reached a cave and even though he didn't want to go in because he wasn't too fond of the dark, but he knew that realistically he needed shelter. Walking hesitantly inside he reached a point in the cave where he could still see the exit but was far enough in the he didn't get wet. Shivering Tails collapsed to the ground and wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to dry his fur. Thinking back to when he was a child in the winter he tried to picture what he would have done back then. When he began to realise that he couldn't remember what he'd have done he began to panic. As tears welled up in his eyes he thought about Sonic and what he was thinking. Tails didn't like the thought that Sonic would be happier without him but he accepted it.

Suddenly a growl from behind him, somewhere deep in the cave awoke him from his thoughts. Tails was up in an instant and peering nervously into the darkness trying to make out whatever it was that had scared him so much. He still couldn't see what it was but he heard another growl from deep inside the cave and then a thudding noise as if something was moving around. Tails knew he should have started running but he was too afraid and he was worried that if he tried his legs would turn to jelly. He also didn't want to risk turning his back on whatever monster was in the cave with him. So instead he just waited as the thudding noise drew closer and closer…

"H-Hello?" Tails nervously asked hoping that the creature would respond and reveal that it wasn't as scary as Tails pictured it to be. When he received a louder and more vicious growl in response Tails was so scared that he fell backwards again letting out a small whimper of pain as he hit the ground. All of a sudden Tails became aware that something was moving out of the darkness close by. He saw the huge black bulk of the creature moving towards him and the sharp claws and he just lost it. He started screaming.

The huge beast responded with a cry of its own which seemed to make the very ground shake beneath Tails. Tails heard a loud skidding noise just outside the tunnel mouth but he didn't turn around. He was too afraid to. Instead he just buried his head in his hands when he saw the monster heading straight for him. There was silence for a while and Tails thought for a moment he might be dead but when he gained enough courage to look up he was surprised to see that he was still in the cave but that he wasn't alone. Sonic was stood in front of him with his arms spread, as if he was shielding him facing the beast and speaking in a low and soothing manner. Tails slowly rose from his position on the floor and walked quickly but hesitantly towards Sonic still shaking slightly. However, he was more than a little surprised to see that his attacker was actually a grizzly bear who now seemed to have calmed completely down and was trying to usher two small cubs back into the back of the cave. They simply pawed at her and rolled on the floor playfully but making sure to keep close to their mother.

"See Tails…" Sonic said still not turning to look at him but keeping his vision trained on the mother bear just in case. "It's nothing to worry about. She was just a little afraid that's all. She thought that you were going to try and hurt her babies… But she's calmed right down now see."

Tails glanced over Sonic's shoulder by standing on tip-toe and he saw that he was right. The mother bear was now looking at him with large brown eyes that seemed apologetic for scaring him and much more understanding than they had been. She spared one last glance to Sonic and gave what seemed like an accepting grunt before leading her cubs back into the cave, making sure to keep a step behind as they stumbled back into the darkness of the cave. When Sonic was sure that the bear was gone he turned towards Tails and immediately wrapped him in a huge hug. Tails gasped in surprise as he felt Sonic shaking with sobs but quickly returned the hug and began crying himself.

"Tails… You scared me so much. I would protect you with my life and I almost lost you. Oh God, I almost lost you because I'm such an idiot. I know that bear wouldn't really have killed you but what if it had been something else. I would never want you to leave Tails and I want you to know that I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I was just seriously panicked earlier but I understand now. I know that you probably just wanted to spend time with me. I'm so sorry…" Sonic sobbed.

"No… I-I should have listened to you Sonic," Tails cried filled with relief that Sonic didn't really hate him and didn't want him to leave. After they both had calmed down Sonic pulled away and looked at Tails in the eyes. "C'mon lets go home."

Tails nodded and took Sonic's hand as they headed for home.

"Oh and if anyone asks Sonic the Hedgehog still doesn't cry…" Sonic added causing Tails to chuckle slightly, happy to be returning home.

"_Some fights have only one purpose. To destroy. Others have a deeper meaning. Not only do they destroy but then they rebuild. Sometimes what is rebuilt is even better than it was before it was destroyed." _

**Thankyou! Please review and feel free to ask for a one-shot if you want :) **


	3. Cat and Mouse

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews on the last chapter and to those of you who followed and favourite this story. Special thank you's to Kitty in Boots and Ninja 59 for your brilliant reviews. They made my day. Ok, well this is a request from InsertUnorigionalPenNameHere . I hope you like it and thank you for reading. **

One thought kept rushing through Sonic's head as he lay strapped to the hard wooden table blindfolded and gagged. Oddly enough the thought wasn't formed out of fear or panic. In fact he'd have expected to feel more fear at finally being in the hands of his enemy. For some reason his head was swimming slightly, making it hard for him to concentrate on anything. He could hear thuds and odd clattering noises as if things were being moved in the room around him but it was almost like he was listening through a sheet of thick glass. He felt as if his body was continuously lurching but surprisingly enough he didn't feel nauseous. He wondered distantly if it was something to do with the prick in his arm he'd felt moments before, but he didn't let his mind linger on the thought for too long. His mind seemed in too much of a whirl to focus on anything for longer than a few seconds anyway. However the one thought that kept on racing through Sonic's head he knew was there because of the humiliation that Sonic felt and the strange sense of pride that he still held within him.

"_Please don't let Tails see me like this…"_

Even though he didn't want Tails to see him for some reason he still wanted Tails to be with him… It was a selfish thought but Sonic couldn't help it, he wanted his little brother. But he knew that even if he had the option he wouldn't ask for Tails to be there with him. He wanted Tails to stay away from him for two reasons. One, because if Tails was there that would mean that he also was caught in the clutches of the evil monster that was now probably somewhere in the room with Sonic sneering at his helpless body in glee. Sonic would never ask for that. Secondly, because Sonic knew that if Tails saw him he wouldn't be able to cope with the state his older brother was in. Sonic knew that Tails would probably have nightmares for weeks if he saw Sonic now. Even though Sonic was light-headed and couldn't feel any pain he knew that he was pretty banged up after the fight that had led to him being captured by Eggman. He tried to remember what had happened after he lost the fight but for some reason all he could remember was a huge robotic arm heading straight towards Amy who was lay on the ground dazed and helpless. Diving in front of her Sonic had intercepted the blow with his own body only to end up being flung through the air from the force of the blow. The last thing he remembered was Amy's loud and high-pitched scream before all went black. He presumed that he passed out…

As Sonic lay simply waiting for something to happen he gasped when he felt another prick in his opposite arm. This one was different from the last one. The last one had made him feel tired and pain free but this second on sent an icy cool spreading though him. He felt himself beginning to sweat profusely and a sharp pain spread though his limbs and made his head throb. He almost cried out from the pain but instead gritted his teeth not giving Eggman the satisfaction of knowing he was in pain. He didn't care if he had a gag on. Eggman would never hear him scream even if the sound would be muffled. It was just something Sonic vowed he would never do in front of his nemesis. This second substance seemed instead of putting him to sleep to startle him into consciousness but now the pain was getting too much. His head swam violently and this time he really did feel sick. Vaguely he wondered if this was the end before his mind went blank.

_-Line Break- _

Tails slowly came back into consciousness and immediately a feeling of unease settled on him. For a moment he wasn't sure where he was but after a few moments he managed to calm his spinning vision just enough so he could make out the stars shining in the night sky. He felt like he'd been run over by a herd of elephants, but he knew he'd had worse… At first he'd thought that he was alone but just by listening he could hear a faint shuffling from next to him. His heart leapt happily when he thought that it was Sonic but when he turned his head and saw a flash of red fur it sank again. Where was Sonic? Tails tried to remember the events previous but his memories were hazed and fuzzy. He remembered going out to fight with Sonic against Eggman's robots and he remembered being really excited about it because it was his first time out into a real fight. Sonic had been hesitant about letting him go with him at first but eventually he'd relented and said that Tails would have to fight eventually. He'd been so worried about Tails getting hurt, Tails thought sadly. He was fine, but where was Sonic? Had he been hurt because he'd been so worried about Tails getting hurt? Tails tried to concentrate on thinking back but immediately his head throbbed so hard that he grasped at his head with his hands in hope to ease the pain.

"Woah, easy there…" came a firm and calm voice from his left. The voice wasn't soft or kind like the tone that his brother used but it was familiar and comforting. It was firm and strong with very little concern, but Tails could sense a little bit of protectiveness there. Only one person Tails knew had that kind of voice…

"Knuckles!" Tails exclaimed, momentarily forgetting about the pain in his head and launching himself at the shocked Echidna. When Tails moaned in pain as the throbbing returned Knuckled awkwardly patted him back once before moving swiftly away from the young fox.

"Calm down kid, you got a pretty nasty hit to the head there…" Knuckles said slowly. Again there wasn't much real concern in his voice but Tails was grateful all the same.

"Erm… Thanks," Tail's murmured softly still rubbing at his sore head. Suddenly a thought struck him.

"Knuckles where's Sonic? He wasn't injured was he? Where's Amy? Is she ok? Why aren't they here? You… You're not injured are you?" Tails asked quickly noticing the way that Knuckles was awkwardly gripping at his left arm and wincing slightly. Tails kneeled closer and looked quickly at the arm looking for blood, but there seemed to be nothing. However, Tails knew that if Knuckles was in pain there had to be something wrong.

"It's not broken is it?" he asked worriedly. He didn't know a lot about broken bones but he knew that they could be incredibly painful and that they had to be fixed. All his medical knowledge came from a couple of books he'd read on the subject, and that wasn't a lot. Usually Sonic was the one who handled injuries.

"No kid… Don't worry. I think it's just twisted," still seeing a look of panic on Tails face he quickly sighed and knelt up so that he was directly facing Tails. "Look, honestly I've had worse so don't worry about it… As for Amy, she's fine. She went home after the fight. She wanted to stay to make sure you were ok but I could tell she needed rest." Tails nodded relieved that Amy was ok. The pink hedgehog was one of his and Sonic's best friends, and as she was older than he was she'd been going on missions with Sonic to defeat Eggman and his robots for a lot longer, but oddly enough she had been the one who'd been the most concerned about this fight. Tails could remember clearly her strongly requesting to Sonic that I stay behind. He was certain he wasn't supposed to be listening but he couldn't help it. Her voice had risen to such a pitch in her concern that he found he couldn't concentrate on anything else.

_-Line Break-_

"Look Sonic, I've got no problem with him coming with us. I just… I've got a bad feeling about this fight Sonic. Eggman was really angry last time when we beat him and he seemed even more determined than ever to get back at us. I'm afraid for him Sonic and I'm afraid for you too. I know you. If anything happens to him you'll never forgive yourself, and I could either… C'mon Sonic, you and I both know that he's just a kid. Let him grow up a little bit more before you throw him into all of this!" Amy had yelled throwing up her arms in exasperation. Tails was a little hurt when she called him a kid, after all he was old enough to fight and usually Amy seemed so carefree and determined when fighting and when not fighting. He couldn't understand what was wrong and why she so desperately didn't want him to fight. Was he not good enough?

Luckily for Tails Sonic had refused to budge. He'd just crossed his arms and begun to tap his foot impatiently clearly happily anticipating the fight. But still he tried to be kind for Amy's sake because he could see how worked up she was becoming over this.

"Look Amy, I've had to think long and hard about this myself. I was pretty worried about how he'd cope but I've seen him improving every day, and I can tell he really wants to fight. The way I look at it the sooner he fights the quicker he'll get used to it," Sonic said firmly. Amy still looked dubious but nodded reluctantly.

"Alright Sonic, you know best after all…" she blushed madly as she realised what she had said and quickly rushed off into the other room to grab her hammer.

Tails had quickly tried to rush off into the living room but Sonic being faster had quickly caught hold of him before he could make it. Tails at first was worried that Sonic would be angry at him for listening to his conversation but to his surprise Sonic begun to chuckle. Patting Tails on the head and playfully ruffling his fur he smiled at him.

"Your curiosity is gonna get you into trouble one day little bro," Sonic grinned but suddenly turned serious kneeling down and taking Tails' hands in his.

"Look Tails… I know you heard that and I want you to know that you don't have to come out with us. Amy's right… To an extent. I don't think you're a kid and I know that you're ready for this but it'll be hard little buddy. You're strong enough but I need to know that you're ready for this. Ok?" He asked looking at Tails directly into his blue eyes trying to read the emotion there.

"I'm fine Sonic, I can't wait for this and I'm ready. Honest!" Tails had replied bravely, barely phased by the prospect of a hard fight. He'd thought it would be easy. He was wrong…

_-Line Break-_

Tails shuddered from sudden cold and whispered quietly but firmly.

"Knuckles, please tell me where Sonic is."

Knuckles sighed deeply as Tails looked at him with big watery eyes. Hesitantly, he reached his hand out to grip the younger fox's shoulder.

"He was taken by Eggman Tails…"

_-Line Break- _

Sonic slowly began to regain consciousness and the first thing that he noticed was that the blindfold had been removed and he could now see the room he was being held in. Thankfully Sonic now felt very little pain and his head wasn't swimming as much as before so he could think straight. He was in a large room. The walls were all painted white and he inwardly recoiled at the sight of a blood smear standing out vividly against the wall closest to him. He couldn't tell if it was his blood or someone else's but the crimson streak was dark in colour and looked fairly fresh. By craning his neck to the side as far as he could he could tell that he was strapped to some kind of operating table and he could tell it was made out of wood because splinters were scraping against his back lightly. He began to struggle against his bonds but it was no use, they held him too tight.

Suddenly he heard a loud, cruel, chuckle from his left. Turning his head sharply towards the noise he gasped when he saw that he was no alone in the room but Eggman was right next to him dressed in a lab coat, wearing white gloves and with a mask covering his mouth. Sonic could see his long pointed noise just above the tight fabric. It was so comical that Sonic would have laughed has the whole situation not been so dire. Sonic couldn't see Eggman's eyes through his goggles but due to the wide grin plastered across his face he could imagine that they were cold and frosty but twinkling with inner glee at seeing his nemesis lying helplessly in front of him.

"Well Sonic, I have waited for so long to have you in my company… Sorry if I was a little rough in bringing you here, I think neither of us can deny we've had a few issues in our past. But regardless I'm glad you're here."

Eggman sneered and turned his back to Sonic and began fondling with something in a tin box that made loud clinking noises as it hit the box.

"However, I don't think we need introductions so let's skip the pleasantry and get straight to business. Do you agree Sonic?" Eggman peered over his shoulder at Sonic who still with the gag on didn't respond but narrowed his eyes in hatred. Eggman smirked again and turned to face Sonic holding a long white needle in his gloves. Sonic's eyes widened and he tried to shift quickly away from the sharp instrument.

Eggman dropped the needle to the floor and quickly moved towards him and held a hand firmly down on the struggling hedgehog's shoulder to keep his arm still.

"So Sonic how does it feel? How does it feel to finally be the looser? How does it feel to know that you're time is finally up? How does it feel to know you're about to be dissected and experimented on like the filthy little rat you are?" When Sonic merely glared at him Eggman, with his other hand not holding on to Sonic ripped his gag off. Sonic spat at him. Eggman recoiling in shock and disgust released Sonic's arm, resulting in Sonic thrashing even more violently to escape. Eggman's clenched fists began to shake in rage and seizing the needle he quickly plunged it as hard as he could into Sonic's arm. Sonic cried out in surprise and pain. Eggman however did not let him go and gripping the needle so tightly his knuckles looked like they might rip out of his skin he held it still for a few moments before emptying the liquid into the victim beneath him. Barley believing that he had managed that Eggman pulled out the needle quickly from Sonic's arm and watched in fascinated amazement as blood poured freely from the arm of his enemy who was whimpering as his thrashing turned sluggish and the effects of the drug took hold.

"No please no…" Sonic whispered as he let a single tear escape. He could feel himself slipping and the world was tilting madly around him. He thought distantly of Tails… How would he cope without him? Sonic knew he still had Knuckles, but he could hardly be relied on to stay with him forever. He knew that his little brother was a lot tougher than he once was but he still didn't believe that he could look after himself completely alone. The only comforting thought that he could think was that Amy would defiantly look after Tails… Sonic trusted her. Now that he was calmer about Tails a new fear set in. One that he couldn't really describe or justify…. Sonic didn't want to die. He didn't want to die with his only company as his enemy. He was a hero and he felt he should be prepared for death, but he really wasn't.

Eggman stood close to Sonic's body watching as his life-long enemy began to cry in front of him. He still wore a large grin on his face but for some reason it felt a little fixed and his face began to hurt from the effort of keeping it. Without him noticing Sonic's blood began to run down the side of the wooden table and hit his lab coat, staining it. Glancing down at the blood he flinched and his vision involuntarily shifted upwards to the dying hedgehog. Suddenly everything made sense. He was killing a child, a child who had so much life left to live and would now have it cut off much too soon. Was it possible that he, Doctor Eggman? Was feeling sorry for his greatest rival?

Then it was as if the pieces fit together yet again but in a completely different order and the locks on his emotions tightened. He remembered every time Sonic had beaten him and made a mockery of his plans. He remembered who Sonic was, he was no regular child. He was Sonic the famous hedgehog. The hero… Then he remembered who he was. He was Dr Eggman… He had no pity. Anger building he came up with an even crueller way to torture the already dying hedgehog. Knowing how disoriented the hedgehog was he knelt down by Sonic's ear but the hero didn't really even recognise that he was there.

"Hey Sonic do you know the best thing about today?" Eggman continued with and evil glint in his eyes. "Today I've not only beaten and killed you but your stupid friends are dead too. Yeah I killed them straight before I took you. The girl put up a bit of a fight but with one punch from my robot she was straight down. She screamed so much but she'll never scream again. Not after I slit her throat."

Sonic whimpered, still not unconscious, so hearing everything. He trusted this voice of Eggman not because he had any reason to trust him but because he had no effort left not to trust him.

"The other one, Knuckles, didn't fight back as much. He just lay there taking all of the attacks of my robots. Not even whimpering once. We didn't even notice he was dead for a good ten minutes. I think every bone is his body was broken before we even noticed he'd stopped breathing…" He let this information sink into Sonic and noted the anguish that covered the hero's face.

"Finally after his friends were dead we caught the little one…" Sonic actually winced at this one and tears began to flow down his cheeks faster than before. Eggman just laughed.

"He put up as much fight as he could but his effort was futile. He died screaming your name, but you were lying unconscious on the ground." Eggman finished.

Sonic, his energy spent, fell still. Despair flooded through him, but he felt no need to fight anymore. He had lost the will to carry on…

As he fell still and all senses left him he didn't hear the thud as the door behind him slammed open and he didn't hear the anguished cry of Eggman and he fell into the wall on the other side of the small room...

-Line Break-

As Sonic regained consciousness for the third time he remembered nothing of what Eggman had said. He remembered nothing about what happened… All he remembered was that white room that he had been locked in and the fear he had felt there. He slowly opened his eyes and was immediately blinded by a bright, white light. Instinctively he brought his arms up to cover his eyes but not before he noticed the room around his was white. As a result of that revelation the pieces began to fit together in his mind and he remembered everything. In a sudden rush of fear and sadness he screamed unleashing all his emotions in a wild cry that vibrated in his ears. He thrashed madly not believing that he was alive but also not believing that he was still stuck in that bright white hell and that his friends and his little brother had all been brutally murdered because he wasn't able to save them.

Out of nowhere two sets of arms reached out to push his arms back to his sides and he could hear a girl screaming his name somewhere next to him. Slowly his energy failed and exhaustion began to settle in but he would not let himself go back to sleep. He feared the blackness and the feeling of oblivion now even more than he feared being awake through his torture. The torture of guilt and regret that was building up inside of him threatened to consume him. He began to cry again but the tears didn't mean much… He felt empty.

"Sonic… Please don't! Sonic calm down! It's ok now…" The voice he heard was comforting and familiar but Sonic shook his head in denial. There was no way… However as he calmed down he could see above him was his little brother with tears streaking down his cheeks and a haunted look on his face.

"Tails?" Sonic questioned disbelievingly. "Tails, is that really you?"

Tails looked confused for a few seconds before he answered almost silently, "Yeah it's me Sonic. Amy and Knuckles are here too, Knuckles came with me to save you and we met Amy here at the hospital."

"Tails…I thought that you were dead! I thought you were all dead!" Sonic shouted, but then panicked as his stomach twisted and he leaned over the side of the bed to retch. Amy was there holding a bucket, with a confused look on her face, but the bucket was barely necessary as all Sonic did was dry heave. There was nothing in his stomach to throw up but Sonic was still tankful for Tails' hand on his shoulder. It was comforting to finally have contact with another person because it reminded him that he was no longer with Eggman, but he was safe… They were all safe.

As soon as that revelation hit him he flung his arms around Tails as tightly as he could. Tails eagerly returned the hug and began to rub his older brothers back soothingly. He wasn't used to this. Usually he was the one upset or injured and his brother would have to comfort him and he feared he would be useless. But in the end it just came naturally to him.

"Sonic…" Amy said hesitantly as she stood. "None of us are dead and neither are you… We're all fine." Tears gathered in her eyes so she tried to blink them away. "You're fine now aren't you Sonic?"

Sonic peered back to her. He had to think for a moment. He still felt like his freedom was a dream and he was still incredibly shook up from his near death experience and now he felt tired and helpless but much more relaxed in the knowledge that his friends and his little brother were all safe. Nodding his head at her question Sonic extended his arm in an invitation for her to join the hug. It was all the invitation she needed… She flung herself at him and Tails still cautious of his injuries and his weakened state but too happy to hold back much.

Knuckles stood back awkwardly and watched the scene unfold glancing almost nervously at the door. Sonic peered over Amy's head and mouthed to him.

"Thank you"

Knuckles nodded and turned to the door. Pausing for a second he turned back to the three people in the room.

"Sonic…" Sonic turned towards him at the grave sound in his voice. Tails and Amy also turned to him.

"He escaped… We didn't get there in time to end it. I wanted to kill him… Next time I will." Knuckles' eyes showed deep anger.

"You won't," Sonic said simply. "You're not like him. He won't turn you into a murder… None of you." He added turning to Tails. Tails nodded but still looked unsure.

"But Sonic he could have killed you… He nearly did." Tails added under his breath hugging his brother tighter.

"Yeah but we're heroes and that's not what we do," Sonic said with certainty in his voice. He wasn't sure where the words came from but they just sounded right.

"Yeah but if he'd killed you… I'd have killed him." Knuckles added with just as much certainty in his voice before he left the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

"I know," Sonic said lying back down on his pillow when Tails and Amy released him and he fell into a peaceful sleep.

"Me too…" Tails whispered gazing at his gloved hands and remembering. Remembering the feeling of dread when he walked into the room and thought Sonic was dead. Sonic needn't ever have to know that it wasn't Knuckles who lost it in that room. It wasn't him who nearly forgot everything he'd been taught about heroes and it wasn't him who lost control completely. But it was Tails whose hands had to be pulled away from the evil Doctors throat. If Eggman had killed Sonic, if Eggman had killed his big brother he'd probably have killed him. He wouldn't have regretted it either…

-Line Break-

Eggman looked around the room in frustration. The grin was gone and his ego had been stripped. The memory of that fox choking him was the last insult… That fox had nearly killed him. He was only a child and he'd nearly cost him his life. It was as if everything had caught up to him. He wanted the events of that room forgotten. He gazed at the red smears on his lab coat and the blood smear across the wall and gritted his teeth. He wanted event of that day erased. He wanted to forget his temporary lapse of nerve and go back to normal. He wanted to fade back into the game he'd been playing with Sonic before. The game of cat and mouse he was so accustomed to. He couldn't let his little game end. It was all he had left… His smile returned, and he left the room but not before making a mental note that he had a wall to clean and a lab coat to burn…

"**Some people are filled with an evil that can easily be defeated. Everyone has evil in them but they just fight it as well as they can. That's what makes a person a hero... Some people can't fight that evil… For those people there is no return. That's what makes a person a villain." **

**Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it! I'm not entirely sure about the ending myself but I'd love to hear what you thought about it so please review! **


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